Pictures from my students

The teachers were so sweet to have the students write me letters and draw pictures to say goodbye.  They were asked to either draw me or us together.   I love all their artwork but will post just a few today.  Seeing how they enjoyed English class with all the rainbows, hearts, and flowers makes me so happy ...I miss them all (sigh!)

Goodbye Japan!

I left Japan a few weeks ago and it was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever made.  I loved the people, culture, food, and my job so much that my two-year plan of living there turned into 5 years!  But with the recent disasters in Japan, my family asked me to finally come home...so here I am in the wonderful United States!   In all, I taught 12 schools and rotated between them once a week.  I had so much fun creating curriculum and watching my students grow and enjoy learning English.  I'll miss all the kids, teachers and friends I made and will cherish fond, fond memories of this country I love.  God bless Japan and please continue to keep them in your prayers!

Ella at the groomer's

Our lovely groomer posted some photos of Ella's visit and it looks like she had a blast!

"Hello world!"

Doesn't my girl look super happy?

After her trimming, she can play in the front area with the other doggies.  However, although Ella's a curious kid, she's also very shy.  Her way of joining in the fun is choosing the comfy couch and watching from a distance!  :)  Isn't she a funny character? 

I'm glad she always enjoys her time there and comes home looking like a princess.  We're so grateful to have found our groomer and look forward to our next visit.   Arigatou ne!

Shuri Castle

We made our way to Shuri Castle to see their 3-day event of festivities. They had traditional, Okinawan dances, tea ceremonies, and a tour of the castle. I thought it'd be fun to dress Ella up in a kimono and she was a big hit with the Japanese tourists!

If you care to look at the slideshow, click here . Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve in the market

It was busy today with people doing their last-minute shopping before the 3-day New Year's celebrations. Locals and tourists flock to this part of town to buy the freshest ingredients so I decided to join in on the action!

Several stands sell the same items so how does this foreigner know which one is the best? I have a little system... go with the one that has the longest line! Yep, yep. :) This kamaboko (fish cakes) stand fit the criteria so I waited for my turn and sure enough, it was delicious.

Next up was the cakes stand. So many to choose from...no wonder people are super serious trying to pick their favorites!

One by one, I enjoyed browsing through the food and took snaps of some of the popular delights. Japanese yams, the yummy cakes, mozuku (green seaplant) and soba (long noodles symbolize long life).

Delicious treats are brown sugar, sata andagi (Okinawan donuts), the must-have mochi (rice cake), and muchi (Okinawan mochi) wrapped in banana (?) leaves. My favorite is the sata andagi donut!

After my shopping, I was getting hungry and stumbled upon an awesome place to eat. From 3pm on New Year's Eve the local shop owners set up some tables and serve homemade soba noodles. It was oishii (delicious)!!

Did I mention it cost only 100 yen (less than a US dollar)? For those of you who are in the area next year, it's right along Heiwadori towards the back. Just be sure to get there before the soba runs out...which is fast! :)

Kawaii Zakka Shop

Today was an unusual day for me because I had the afternoon off...yay! So without a second thought, I went straight to my favorite handmade/specialty shop. If you're a big "zakka" fan like me these places are like heaven!

Plush toys, books, stationary...you name it, they have it.

I love all the yummy colors and kawaii characters but how do they fit everything on the shelves? Japanese sure are professionals at being compact !

If that was not enough, they even have a bakery filled with delicious treats

and fresh flowers for the home.

With some cream cheese bread and a little shopping, it was the perfect way to enjoy my afternoon! :)

Day trip to Nanjo

Yesterday, I took a trip with a small group of friends to Nanjo City. We visited a few historical sites and then headed to the beach. Tucked away in this hidden path was....
Hyakuna beach! The white sands, coral rocks, and turquoise water make it such a peaceful place. Plus, it was so secluded we had most of it to ourselves. :)

After enjoying the view, we ate at a restaurant called Mozuku Soba. I've never tasted such fresh mozuku (Okinawan seaweed) in my life...probably because it came straight from the sea. What a treat!

On our way back, we stopped by a farmer's market for some fruits and veggies. I felt like one of the locals buying my groceries for the day.

At the market, my little friend made a few friends of her own. Aren't they adorable?

It was a wonderful day and I want to say a special thank you to the "A team" for the nice memory....Arigatou!

Eisa and the Blue Moon

Children were performing some Okinawan Eisa dances today. I've never tried to
play a taiko drum before but after seeing them, I hope to have a chance someday!

Such colorful, customes!

What a cutie!

He was actually very good!

As we were walking away, we caught a glimpse of November's full moon .

It was a nice way to end the day! :)

At the beach...part one!

Here we are at the beach! When I'm in the city, I tend to forget that I'm living on such a tropical island. I'm so glad we had perfect weather today!

White sand and clear, blue water.

She's hopping around with excitement, but so sweet to stop and pose for me. :)

Too cold to jump into but I wish I could at this moment!

My favorite photo

Part two is coming soon!

A stroll down Tsuboya 壺屋

After being stuck inside because of the typhoon, we headed out to enjoy the day with a walk down Tsuboya street. It's a favorite tourist attraction and many come to buy beautiful, Okinawan pottery. I especially like how they decorate the buildings, pathways, and entrances
with broken pieces of pottery and plates. Here's a video of us exploring a tiny path taking us through the neighborhood:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeZApHKoyqQ

I love MUJI!

I'm so in love with all things Muji that I'm dedicating this post to the lovely store!

The Japanese make their items so compact and simple...it's amazing!

Pens, pens and more pens!

And lots of yummy goodies!

My little shopping for the day...can't wait to try out the turquoise pen!

Fun at the festival!

We headed out to the big Naha Festival to enjoy all the action. There were plenty of people, music, and food, food, food! I even saw several familiar faces as many of my students and a few teachers had the same idea for the day. Ella had a blast and loved all the attention from the friendly people..can you tell by that smile on her face? :)